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Angelus ad virginem
Angelus ad virginem: why early music and traditional music share the same gene pool
Agincourt Carol
Taming the Devil’s carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu … coming soon
Arbeau, Thoinot
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
armed man, The / L’homme armé
L’homme armé / The armed man: the remarkable life of a 15th century song and its contemporary resonance
bandora
Wired for sound: the bandora and orpharion
Barbara Allen
Was Barbara Allen really so cruel? … coming soon
baroque guitar
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
baroque lute
The lute: a thumbnail history
baroque music
Baroque music: a brief tour of the extravagant last period of early music
Belle qui tiens ma vie
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
Beverley Minster
The magnificent medieval musicians of Beverley Minster: an illustrated guide to its minstrels and allegorical carvings.
* Part 1: The Minster’s history and its 14th century allegorical carvings. … coming soon
* Part 2: 14th century carvings of musicians. … coming soon
* Part 3: More 14th century carvings of musicians. … coming soon
* Part 4: The role of the medieval Beverley musicians’ guild. … coming soon
* Part 5: Carvings of musicians from the 16th and 20th century. … coming soon
Bird on a briar
* Bird on a briar: interpreting medieval notation, with a HIP harp arrangement
* Bird on a briar (bryd one brere): constructing the missing voice
Bob the Builder (spoof article for 1st April)
NEW DISCOVERY! Rob. mason, builder, his galiard
Boissart mandore
– see Mandore.
Bosch, Jheronimus
The modern myth of Bosch’s butt music … coming soon
bray harp
The bray harp: getting a buzz from early music
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
Westron wynde: a beautiful fragment of longing
Breve regnum erigitur
Early music in fascist fires – or – The extraordinary survival of a Polish early music gem: Breve regnum erigitur … coming soon
Bring us in good ale
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
broadside ballads
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3/4: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
Baroque music: a brief tour of the extravagant last period of early music
Calen o Custure me: a Tudor love song with garbled Gaelic?
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 1 of 3: Mythology
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 2 of 3: History
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 3 of 3: Music
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
Drive the cold Winter away: the meaning of a 17th century seasonal song
Bryd one brere
* Bird on a briar: interpreting medieval notation, with a HIP harp arrangement
* Bird on a briar (bryd one brere): constructing the missing voice
Calen o Custure me (Cailín ó Chois tSiúre mé, Caleno custure me, Callin o custure me, Callino Casturame, Calmie custure me)
Calen o Custure me: a Tudor love song with garbled Gaelic?
Cantigas de Santa Maria
* “Why do you not praise her?”: the Virgin Mary and the troubadours (Cantigas de Santa Maria article 1/6)
* “I wish from this day forth to be her troubadour”: the composition of the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM article 2/6)
* The Virgin’s vengeance and Regina’s rewards: the surprising character of Mary in the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM article 3/6)
* The animated chop of meat (and other miraculous marvels): pilgrimage songs in the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM article 4/6)
* “Infidels”, “traitors” and “that ugly bearded crew”: fear and loathing in the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM article 5/6)
* Surprising songs of sentient statues: the Virgin, Venus, and Jason and the Argonauts (Cantigas de Santa Maria article 6/6)
* Performing medieval music. Part 1: Instrumentation
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
* Performing medieval music. Part 3: The medieval style
Carolan, Turlough
See Princess Royal: the history of an Irish?/English?/Scottish? air/song/dance … coming soon
Carols, carolling
Taming the Devil’s carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu … coming soon
Carter, Sydney
Songs that grow like trees: an appreciation of Sydney Carter (1915–2004)
citole
* The mysteries of the medieval fiddle: lifting the veil on the vielle
* The English estampie: interpreting a medieval dance(?) tune – see video
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
cittern
Cittern: a brief introduction … coming soon
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
clavicembalum
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
The medieval portative organ: an interview with Cristina Alís Raurich
clavicytherium
The medieval portative organ: an interview with Cristina Alís Raurich
clowns, fools, jesters
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 2/4: Tarleton the player and playwright … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3/4: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
coboz, koboz, kobza
* The Elblag gittern: a case of mistaken identity … coming soon
Early music in fascist fires – or – The extraordinary survival of a Polish early music gem: Breve regnum erigitur … coming soon
contrafactum (singular) / contrafacta (plural)
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
* Sumer is icumen in / Perspice Christicola: silencing the cuckoo
cornamuse (wind cap instrument)
The crumhorn: a short history
Coventry Carol
Coventry Carol: the power of a song
crumhorn
The crumhorn: a short history
dance
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
Music of the renaissance: a whistle-stop tour
Baroque music: a brief tour of the extravagant last period of early music
* Performing medieval music. Part 3: the medieval style
* The English estampie: interpreting a medieval dance(?) tune
The first dancing master’s manual: Domenico da Piacenza and the art of dance
Do gracias anglica
Taming the Devil’s carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu … coming soon
Domenico da Piacenza
The first dancing master’s manual: Domenico da Piacenza and the art of dance
Dowland, John
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
The lute: a thumbnail history
The scandalous la volta: “such a lewd and unchaste dance”
Music of the renaissance: a whistle-stop tour
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 1 of 3: Mythology
Drive the cold Winter away
Drive the cold Winter away: the meaning of a 17th century seasonal song
dulcimer, hammer(ed)
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
early music and folk/traditional music
– See Traditional/folk music and early music
Edi beo þu heuene quene
Edi beo þu heuene quene: a love song by any name
* “Why do you not praise her?”: the Virgin Mary and the troubadours (Cantigas de Santa Maria article 1/6)
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
* Bird on a briar (bryd one brere): constructing the missing voice
estampie
* The English estampie: interpreting a medieval dance(?) tune
* Kalenda maya, the troubadours, and the lessons of traditional music
farting
A brief history of farting in early music and literature
fiddle, medieval
* On the (medieval) fiddle: a short introduction to the vielle
* The mysteries of the medieval fiddle: lifting the veil on the vielle
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
films, historical
In defence of the unhistorical drama
folk/traditional music and early music
See traditional/folk music and early music
fools, jesters, clowns
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 2: Tarleton the player and playwright … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
Foweles in þe frith
* Foweles in þe frith (birds in the wood): mystery and beauty in a 13th century song
gemshorn
The gemshorn: a (necessarily) short history
gittern
* The gittern: a short history
* The Elblag gittern: a case of mistaken identity … coming soon
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
goliards
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
Greensleeves
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 1 of 3: Mythology
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 2 of 3: History
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 3 of 3: Music
guitar
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
hammer dulcimer
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
harp
The bray harp: getting a buzz from early music
* Bird on a briar: interpreting medieval notation, with a HIP harp arrangement
* Mirie it is while sumer ilast: decoding the earliest surviving secular song in English
harpsichord
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
The medieval portative organ: an interview with Cristina Alís Raurich
historical drama
In defence of the unhistorical drama
hurdy gurdy (vielle à roue)
The wheel fiddle: a short history of the organistrum, simfony and vielle à roue (hurdy gurdy) … coming soon
In dulci jubilo
Nails, needles, chains and angels: the pain and joy of In dulci jubilo
In the Fields in Frost and Snow
Old MacDonald Had A Farm: an early music classic … coming soon
jesters, fools, clowns
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 2/4: Tarleton the player and playwright … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3/4: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
Kalenda maya
* Kalenda maya, the troubadours, and the lessons of traditional music
koboz, kobza, coboz
* The Elblag gittern: a case of mistaken identity … coming soon
Early music in fascist fires – or – The extraordinary survival of a Polish early music gem: Breve regnum erigitur … coming soon
Latin guitar
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
L’homme armé / The armed man
L’homme armé / The armed man: the remarkable life of a 15th century song and its contemporary resonance
Lully, lulla, thow littell tiné child
Coventry Carol: the power of a song
lute
The lute: a thumbnail history
Lyke-Wake Dirge
The Lyke-Wake Dirge: the revival of an Elizabethan song of the afterlife
Magno gaudens
Boy bishops, role reversals, and a rare 13th century song: Magno gaudens … coming soon
mandore
The beautiful Boissart mandore, part 1 of 3: The pre-history of the mandore
* The beautiful Boissart mandore, part 2 of 3: Obervations on the Boissart mandore
The beautiful Boissart mandore, part 3 of 3: Creating a new mandore inspired by the ‘Boissart’ design
medieval music
Medieval music: a quick guide to the middle ages
* Performing medieval music. Part 1: Instrumentation
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
* Performing medieval music. Part 3: The medieval style
medieval music notation, theory, modes
* Bird on a briar: interpreting medieval notation, with a HIP harp arrangement
* Bird on a briar: constructing the missing voice
* Mirie it is while sumer ilast: decoding the earliest surviving secular song in English
* The mysteries of the medieval fiddle: lifting the veil on the vielle
* The English estampie: interpreting a medieval dance(?) tune
* Kalenda maya, the troubadours, and the lessons of traditional music
* Performing medieval music. Part 1: Instrumentation
* Performing medieval music. Part 2: Turning monophony into polyphony
* Performing medieval music. Part 3: The medieval style
* Foweles in þe frith (birds in the wood): mystery and beauty in a 13th century song
Mirie it is while sumer ilast
* Mirie it is while sumer ilast: decoding the earliest surviving secular song in English
Moorish guitar
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
morris dancing
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
movies, historical
In defence of the unhistorical drama
O’Carolan, Turlough
See Princess Royal: the history of an Irish?/English?/Scottish? air/song/dance … coming soon
Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Old MacDonald Had A Farm: an early music classic … coming soon
Orchésographie
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
organ
See portative organ or positive organ.
organistrum
The wheel fiddle: a short history of the organistrum, simfony and vielle à roue (hurdy gurdy) … coming soon
orpharion
Wired for sound: the bandora and orpharion
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
oud
The oud: a short guide to a long history
penorcon
Wired for sound: the bandora and orpharion
Perspice Christicola
* Sumer is icumen in / Perspice Christicola: silencing the cuckoo
pipe and tabor
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3/4: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
portative organ
The medieval portative organ: an interview with Cristina Alís Raurich
positive organ
The medieval portative organ: an interview with Cristina Alís Raurich
Princess Royal
Princess Royal: the history of an Irish?/English?/Scottish? air/song/dance … coming soon
psaltery
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
rebec
The rebec: a short history from court to street
renaissance dance
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
Music of the renaissance: a whistle-stop tour
renaissance music
Music of the renaissance: a whistle-stop tour
renaissance guitar
The guitar: a brief history from the renaissance to the modern day
renaissance lute
The lute: a thumbnail history
Salutation carol
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
Shakespeare, William
Playing Shakespeare: the music of the Bard
The song Shakespeare stole from: a discovery from the 16th century (spoof article for 1st April)
Calen o Custure me: a Tudor love song with garbled Gaelic?
In defence of the unhistorical drama
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/2: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 2/2: Tarleton the player and playwright … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
shawm
The shawm: a loud introduction … coming soon
simfony
The wheel fiddle: a short history of the organistrum, simfony and vielle à roue (hurdy gurdy) … coming soon
Spencer the Rover
* Spencer the Rover – a history of mental health in song … coming soon
spinet
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
Sumer is icumen in
* Sumer is icumen in / Perspice Christicola: silencing the cuckoo
Medieval music: a quick guide to the middle ages
Greensleeves: Mythology, History and Music. Part 2 of 3: History
One song to the tune of another: early music common practice, 800 years before Humph
Tabourot, Jehan
The pavan, the priest and the pseudonym: Belle qui tiens ma vie and Arbeau’s Orchésographie (1589)
Tarleton / Tarlton, Richard
Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 1/4: Tarleton the Elizabethan fool … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 2/4: Tarleton the player and playwright … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 3/4: Richard Tarleton the musician and broadside writer … coming soon
* Tarleton’s Resurrection. Part 4/4: Tributes to Tarleton – with a musical discovery from the 16th century … coming soon
Ther is no rose of swych vertu
Taming the Devil’s carol: Ther is no rose of swych vertu … coming soon
traditional/folk music and early music
Angelus ad virginem: why early music and traditional music share the same gene pool
* Kalenda maya, the troubadours, and the lessons of traditional music
* Performing medieval music. Part 3: The medieval style
Drive the cold Winter away: the meaning of a 17th century seasonal song
Trees they do grow high, The
* The trees they do grow high: a ballad of medieval arranged marriage?
troubadours and trouvères
* Kalenda maya, the troubadours, and the lessons of traditional music
* “Why do you not praise her?”: the Virgin Mary and the troubadours (Cantigas de Santa Maria article 1/6)
* “I wish from this day forth to be her troubadour”: the composition of the Cantigas de Santa Maria (CSM article 2/6)
* Bird on a briar: interpreting medieval notation, with a HIP harp arrangement
vielle (medieval fiddle)
* On the (medieval) fiddle: a short introduction to the vielle
* The mysteries of the medieval fiddle: lifting the veil on the vielle
vielle à roue (Hurdy gurdy)
The wheel fiddle: a short history of the organistrum, simfony and vielle à roue (hurdy gurdy) … coming soon
virginal
* The Psilvery Psound of the Psaltery: a brief history
volta, la
The scandalous la volta: “such a lewd and unchaste dance”
Westron wynde
Westron wynde: a beautiful fragment of longing
Thought I would sign up for notifications to encourage me to look occasionally.
Nick
What an interesting blog: thank you!
Can any list the Wedding Music from the 1511 Sabina of Bavaria/ Duke Ulrich of Wurttemberg ill-fated marriage? The 6/7vv “In Summis”(modern name) Mass was by Heinrich Finck (c.1444-1527).
All leads welcomed!
Perhaps this page isn’t the ideal location for such a question, Sigmund. There are lots of specialist early music pages on Facebook. Perhaps someone there may know. I’m afraid I don’t. Good luck!
Thanks for your blog. Really interesting a well written articles. Any idea of evidence for the bowed psaltery? It’s often used as a ” medieval” instrument but lacking in documentation?
Andy Hornby ( Winders of Wyresdale)
Hello, Andy. If you go to the article on the psaltery http://earlymusicmuse.com/psaltery/ you’ll see mention of the fact that the bowed psaltery is a modern instrument, unrelated to the true medieval psaltery. All the best. Ian
Dear Mr. Pittaway, I have a very good book with all the scores of Atalanta Fugiens. If you are interested, I can scan it and send it to you. If you want more information, just tell me.
Thanks a lot for your site and your work!
Warm regards,
Tancredo Braga
Hello, Tancredo, and thank you for your appreciation.
Atalanta Fugiens is an intriguing and wonderful piece of work. Thank you for your very kind offer. I have so much music on my shelves I want to get round to one day, so I am reluctant to add one more work to the pile! Did you know there is an excellent website with the whole work online, in facsimile, in translation, and all the works sung? You’ll find it at https://furnaceandfugue.org/
With my best wishes.
Ian